Comments on: Are You Networking Harder or Smarter? http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter Income-boosting resources for commercial writers Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:48:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Zoe Winters http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-508 Zoe Winters Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:18:24 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-508 The Objectifying type of networking reminds me of my Mary Kay days. *cringe* MLMs tend to everybody you know into a potential target. And that's possibly because you're selling the exact same thing as a whole bunch of other people. When you're selling something more personal I think genuinely valuing others, and being yourself draws a lot more people. Eventually those who need to find you will find you, provided you're where they can find you. IMO. The Objectifying type of networking reminds me of my Mary Kay days. *cringe* MLMs tend to everybody you know into a potential target. And that’s possibly because you’re selling the exact same thing as a whole bunch of other people. When you’re selling something more personal I think genuinely valuing others, and being yourself draws a lot more people. Eventually those who need to find you will find you, provided you’re where they can find you. IMO.

]]> By: Laurie Schmidt http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-490 Laurie Schmidt Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:28:30 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-490 I agree, Mike and Peter - distance doesn't matter anymore. Given my niche (science), I'd be very limited if I couldn't market myself to clients out of my area. I can honestly say that I have only had ONE potential client tell me they thought I needed to be geographically closer to them (and they were in Maui....bummer, as I was hoping they were gonna fly me there for a project meeting ;) I agree, Mike and Peter – distance doesn’t matter anymore. Given my niche (science), I’d be very limited if I couldn’t market myself to clients out of my area. I can honestly say that I have only had ONE potential client tell me they thought I needed to be geographically closer to them (and they were in Maui….bummer, as I was hoping they were gonna fly me there for a project meeting ;)

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-489 peter Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:39:01 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-489 Right you are, Mike. Most of my clients ARE local, but it's amazing how infrequently we meet, and how in some cases, we've never met at all! I wouldn't know these folks if I fell over them in the street. That said, if you do have local prospects (i.e., within 20-30 minutes), I'm a big fan of meeting people face-to-face - at least initially. In my experience, people feel more connected to someone if they've met them personally, and in this business, as in most any business, people buy people. Not that someone can't "buy" you over the phone, but it can speed up the process. But, meet them once, and you usually don't have to do it again. But is it necessary? No. Would it help? Most likely. And all you folks who live in small town or rural areas and are wondering how to build this business with so few clients locally, Mike's right on target here. It really doesn't matter anymore. PB Right you are, Mike. Most of my clients ARE local, but it’s amazing how infrequently we meet, and how in some cases, we’ve never met at all! I wouldn’t know these folks if I fell over them in the street. That said, if you do have local prospects (i.e., within 20-30 minutes), I’m a big fan of meeting people face-to-face – at least initially. In my experience, people feel more connected to someone if they’ve met them personally, and in this business, as in most any business, people buy people. Not that someone can’t “buy” you over the phone, but it can speed up the process. But, meet them once, and you usually don’t have to do it again.

But is it necessary? No. Would it help? Most likely. And all you folks who live in small town or rural areas and are wondering how to build this business with so few clients locally, Mike’s right on target here. It really doesn’t matter anymore.

PB

]]> By: Mike Klassen http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-488 Mike Klassen Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:24:17 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-488 Your comment about geography reminded me of my start as a freelancer. I did wonder, "Why on earth would anyone from another area hire me? Certainly they have local folks they'd prefer to work with." How things have changed from those kinds of thoughts. Since starting the design aspect of my business over 3 years ago, I haven't had a single client from my own state of Washington. I never market locally, so if anyone local finds me, it's by chance or some word-of-mouth. And when I did have one opportunity to meet with a "local" potential client (about two and half hours away), I politely declined the request to meet face-to-face. That's not something I recommend to everyone, but since I was only working with out-of-state clients at that point, I knew that face-to-face meetings weren't as necessary as some make them out to be, at least for designers. (I think that for writers, getting face time with the right people during the research phase has value. Even at that, I know lots of writers who will still only do that over the phone or e-mail.) Your comment about geography reminded me of my start as a freelancer. I did wonder, “Why on earth would anyone from another area hire me? Certainly they have local folks they’d prefer to work with.”

How things have changed from those kinds of thoughts. Since starting the design aspect of my business over 3 years ago, I haven’t had a single client from my own state of Washington. I never market locally, so if anyone local finds me, it’s by chance or some word-of-mouth.

And when I did have one opportunity to meet with a “local” potential client (about two and half hours away), I politely declined the request to meet face-to-face. That’s not something I recommend to everyone, but since I was only working with out-of-state clients at that point, I knew that face-to-face meetings weren’t as necessary as some make them out to be, at least for designers. (I think that for writers, getting face time with the right people during the research phase has value. Even at that, I know lots of writers who will still only do that over the phone or e-mail.)

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-487 peter Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:26:02 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-487 Thanks Mike, Great point. I'm in 100% agreement. Why you wouldn't put all your contact info on your site (I have it on every page of my site: www.writeinc.biz) is beyond me. And I also recommend mailing address. As you say, it just makes you more accessible (and while maybe a long shot, but say a client wants to send you something - info, a check, whatever - and it's after hours, they can find it on your site). Some say they they don't want to tie themselves down geographically in a client's mind by putting their address, but these days, I don't think that's much of an issue. It IS the little things... And Teresa, you flatter me... ;) But, hey, always glad to provide the laughs... PB Thanks Mike,

Great point. I’m in 100% agreement. Why you wouldn’t put all your contact info on your site (I have it on every page of my site: http://www.writeinc.biz) is beyond me. And I also recommend mailing address. As you say, it just makes you more accessible (and while maybe a long shot, but say a client wants to send you something – info, a check, whatever – and it’s after hours, they can find it on your site). Some say they they don’t want to tie themselves down geographically in a client’s mind by putting their address, but these days, I don’t think that’s much of an issue. It IS the little things…

And Teresa, you flatter me… ;) But, hey, always glad to provide the laughs…

PB

]]> By: Teresa Hall http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-486 Teresa Hall Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:06:03 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-486 Hey Peter,
Thanks for another great blog post. Networking becomes almost magical after a while. You never know how far a connection you make today might reach tomorrow.

As to your comment- “And Mike (Klassen), thank YOU for the great contributions – initially and immediately above. Wonderfully instructive story to say the least. When I do live seminars on commercial writing, the bullet point that follows the prospecting discussion reads: “FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU.â€? Puzzled looks all around until I explain, “Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, …â€? ;)

PB”

All I can say is when I grow up I want to be a female Peter Bowerman and get away with stuff like this!! Thanks for the wisdom and the smile!
Teresa

]]> By: Mike Klassen http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-484 Mike Klassen Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:35:42 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-484 Laurie, your comments are kind of related to something I just wrote about on my blog. One of my first clients hired me over someone else not only because he thought I could do the job, but because I had my phone number and address on my website. I thought that was a strange reason, but it was important enough to him that he let me know that was the small edge I had over others. To him, having that information told him I wasn't hiding and I was accessible. Now, I notice that a lot of freelancer websites... no phone number. For some older folks (and younger, I suppose), they want to pick up the phone and talk to someone directly. It made me think of all the little things that we can do to land jobs or make good impressions that aren't really that hard... be accessible (before you get the job), follow-up on your marketing, talk with a smile in your voice while on the phone, etc. Yet it's not always so obvious when you've spent all your prior jobs working for someone else and not having to worry about being the face of the company. But it's usually those little things that make the biggest difference. Laurie, your comments are kind of related to something I just wrote about on my blog. One of my first clients hired me over someone else not only because he thought I could do the job, but because I had my phone number and address on my website.

I thought that was a strange reason, but it was important enough to him that he let me know that was the small edge I had over others. To him, having that information told him I wasn’t hiding and I was accessible. Now, I notice that a lot of freelancer websites… no phone number. For some older folks (and younger, I suppose), they want to pick up the phone and talk to someone directly.

It made me think of all the little things that we can do to land jobs or make good impressions that aren’t really that hard… be accessible (before you get the job), follow-up on your marketing, talk with a smile in your voice while on the phone, etc.

Yet it’s not always so obvious when you’ve spent all your prior jobs working for someone else and not having to worry about being the face of the company. But it’s usually those little things that make the biggest difference.

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-483 peter Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:01:45 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-483 Great stuff, Laurie! And SO true. You can't expect prospects to follow up that's YOUR job - but when you do, it's often amazing what can happen. Thanks! PB Great stuff, Laurie! And SO true. You can’t expect prospects to follow up that’s YOUR job – but when you do, it’s often amazing what can happen. Thanks!

PB

]]> By: Laurie Schmidt http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-482 Laurie Schmidt Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:41:57 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-482 I just started my business fairly recently, and I can already vouch for the truth of Follow Up! When I first started sending out letters and emails, I thought....okay, if they're interested, they'll call me. Wrong. Okay, sometimes right - but mostly wrong. Now I followup on every letter and email within two weeks, and I would say that roughly 25% of the time, the person I'm calling says, "Glad you called - I have a couple questions about your services" or "Oh yeah, your letter is sitting on my desk - can you send me more information?" If I hadn't followed up, these people probably would have never contacted me. I just started my business fairly recently, and I can already vouch for the truth of Follow Up! When I first started sending out letters and emails, I thought….okay, if they’re interested, they’ll call me. Wrong. Okay, sometimes right – but mostly wrong. Now I followup on every letter and email within two weeks, and I would say that roughly 25% of the time, the person I’m calling says, “Glad you called – I have a couple questions about your services” or “Oh yeah, your letter is sitting on my desk – can you send me more information?” If I hadn’t followed up, these people probably would have never contacted me.

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/are-you-networking-harder-or-smarter/comment-page-1#comment-479 peter Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:21:50 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=22#comment-479 Thanks to all who've weighed. Mike (Stelzner), appreciate your input. Social networking certainly has its huge pluses over the in-person kind... And Graham and john Paul - thanks for adding some additional great insights to the conversation. And Mike (Klassen), thank YOU for the great contributions - initially and immediately above. Wonderfully instructive story to say the least. When I do live seminars on commercial writing, the bullet point that follows the prospecting discussion reads: "FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU." Puzzled looks all around until I explain, "Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, ..." ;) PB Thanks to all who’ve weighed. Mike (Stelzner), appreciate your input. Social networking certainly has its huge pluses over the in-person kind…

And Graham and john Paul – thanks for adding some additional great insights to the conversation.

And Mike (Klassen), thank YOU for the great contributions – initially and immediately above. Wonderfully instructive story to say the least. When I do live seminars on commercial writing, the bullet point that follows the prospecting discussion reads: “FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU, FU.” Puzzled looks all around until I explain, “Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, Follow up, …” ;)

PB

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